The invention relates to decorative lighting fixtures and more specifically to a dome shaped lighting fixture that is mounted in a ceiling either below a skylight and/or within an enclosed housing mounted in the ceiling.
In the past dome shaped decorative lighting fixtures have had frames that are welded in their entirety at their place of manufacture or require expensive welding of the parts at the job-site. A disadvantage of pre-welded dome frames is they are bulky and costly to ship or transport. The size of the dome shaped decorative lighting fixtures that are being discussed are in the range of 4 feet in diameter and larger.
Prior art dome frames have heretofore been manufactured for lighting panels that require the panels to be glazed and/or clipped to hold them in place. This structure made it difficult for removal of the lighting panels for replacement, changing of light bulbs, and/or cleaning, all of which is difficult and time-consuming when the panels are locked into place by glazing and/or clips.
Existing prior art dome frames also utilize horizontal frame ribs between the adjacent spaced vertical ribs of their frames. Additionally, previous dome shaped decorative lighting fixtures do not have interchangeable top plate members such as: (a) a ring shaped type that allows a light panel to be layed thereover, or (b) solid top plates with a small hole for hanging a chandelier or other similar hanging fixture from the center of the dome frame, or (c) a solid top-plate that allows for the addition of recessed down-lighting lamp fixtures to be mounted above the dome shaped decorative lighting fixture itself.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that can be marketed in kit form so that it may be assembled and installed at the job site.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that utilizes a minimal number of mass produced parts that are assembled into the final structure.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that is economical to manufacture and market.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that does not require its components to be welded together and which can also be disassembled.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that utilizes light transmitting panels that do not have to be glazed and/or clipped to hold them in place.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel dome shaped decorative lighting fixture that can be used either with a skylight and/or with a light housing that is mounted in the ceiling.